INK.IO
Threats fall toward five lamps at the bottom of the screen. Drag a finger to draw a wall that lasts a heartbeat. Whatever hits it bounces off and turns on everything else, so one good angle can set off a chain.
How to Play
Drag anywhere on the screen (or click and drag with a mouse) to draw a line of ink. The line becomes a short-lived wall. Falling threats that hit it bounce off, and a bounced threat switches sides: it becomes friendly and destroys any other threat it crashes into.
Ink is limited. The meter drains as you draw and refills shortly after you lift your finger. Long walls empty it fast; short, well-angled strokes are what keep you alive.
Each threat is aimed at one of the five lamps. A threat that reaches a lit lamp puts it out. When the last lamp goes out, the run is over.
Chains and relighting lamps
Every threat destroyed by bounced threats from the same stroke belongs to one chain. Each kill in a chain is worth more than the last. Reach 5 kills in one chain and a dark lamp lights back up. If all five lamps are already lit, you get a 100-point bonus instead.
What It Looks Like
Recorded from the browser game.
Scoring
- Chain kills: a threat's points multiplied by its position in the chain. The third kill in a chain is worth three times its base value.
- Bounces: bouncing a Cluster is worth 5 points on its own.
- Relight bonus: 100 points for a 5-kill chain when no lamp needs relighting.
The game over screen shows your time, lamps relit and longest chain.
Threat Guide
INK.IO introduces a new threat every 15 to 25 seconds until all six are in play at 1:40. Point values are base values before the chain multiplier.
| Threat | Appears | What it does | How to handle it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drops | From 0:00 · 10 pts | Fall straight toward their target lamp. | Easy to read and easy to aim. Use them as ammunition: bounce a Drop into a crowd. |
| Zigzags | From 0:15 · 15 pts | Weave side to side as they fall. | Draw a wider wall, or wait for the weave to commit before you draw. |
| Clusters | From 0:30 · 15 pts | Burst into three shards when they bounce off your ink. | Three shards from one bounce is an instant chain starter. Angle the bounce toward other threats. |
| Divers | From 0:50 · 20 pts | Fall, pause in mid-air, then dive at a lamp much faster. At most two at a time. | Draw the wall during the pause, between the Diver and its lamp. |
| Slips | From 1:15 · 20 pts | Flicker in and out. In their faded phase they pass straight through ink. | Time your stroke for the solid phase, or draw the wall low so it's still there when the Slip turns solid. |
| Heavies | From 1:40 · 30 pts | Big and slow. A Heavy breaks through a wall instead of bouncing, but the impact slows it down. | You can't bounce a Heavy, only delay it. Slow it with ink and use the time to chain other threats into it. |
Tips for Longer Runs
- Angle beats length. A short wall at the right angle sends a bounced threat into others; a long flat wall just wastes ink.
- Lift your finger often. Ink only refills after a stroke ends.
- Chase 5-kill chains when you're down a lamp. Relighting is the only way to get a lamp back.
- Let early Drops fall a little before you bounce them. The more threats on screen, the more a single bounce can hit.
- Protect the lamps with the most threats aimed at them first. A dark lamp can be relit; a run without lamps can't.
- Watch Divers during their pause. That pause is your whole window.
FAQ
Does INK.IO work with a mouse?
Yes. Click and drag to draw. It's designed for touch but plays well with a mouse or trackpad.
Why did my wall disappear?
Walls only last a moment by design. Draw them just before a threat arrives, not long in advance.
Where are my scores saved?
In your browser on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server.